Strike action called off at helicopter manufacturer

Workers at Leonardo have previously walked out over pay

Strike action which was due to take place at a defence manufacturer has been called off.

Thousands of employees at Leonardo, which runs the UK's only helicopter factory in Yeovil, Somerset, voted to accept a new pay offer from the firm worth 8% over two years.

Unite members across Leonardo sites in Yeovil, Luton, Basildon, Newcastle and Edinburgh had already walked out earlier in the month after rejecting a 3.6% pay rise.

Leonardo said the most recent pay deal was part of the firm's commitment to offer "fair and reasonable pay".

Leonardo, which has its headquartered in Italy, manufactures defence industry equipment including helicopters, aerospace parts, electronics and cybersecurity technology.

It has five sites across the UK in Yeovil, Luton, Basildon, Edinburgh and Newcastle.

In a statement, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said: "There is power in a union and workers at Leonardo should be proud of the increased pay award they have secured.

"Our members do vital work in helping keep the UK safe and thoroughly deserve their win."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Leonardo said their revised pay and reward package "reflects our continued commitment to offering fair and sustainable pay".

"With this matter resolved, we are now focused on leveraging the skill and dedication of our workforce to deliver our key commitments," they added.